FRANK LAVIN — Edelman has named Franklin (Frank) Lavin to be chairman, public affairs practice, Edelman Asia Pacific. He’ll be working China, India and other markets. From 2001 to 2005, Uncle Frank was U.S. ambassador to Singapore, then was under secretary of commerce for international trade.

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BREAKING — George Stephanopoulos’ “Bottom Line” on ABC’s “Good Morning America”: “Dick Cheney isn’t the most popular messenger, but his arguments HAVE started to get some traction. And you ARE seeing the president move more toward siding with the military on this thicket of issues. I would expect, for example, … very likely today, the president will approve reinstituting these military commissions to try detainees coming out of Guantanamo and other prisons. That is something he criticized during the campaign.”

George says the White House wants to do the Supreme Court announcement in the week between Memorial Day (May 25) and the president’s trip to Egypt, Germany and France. George says “the top three candidates” are Solicitor General Elena Kagan and U.S. Appeals Court judges Sonia Sotomayor of New York and Diane Wood of Chicago.

Democratic sources tell us a final shortlist has not gone to the president, because he has not met all of the possibilities, which are said to number more than a dozen. The sources said the list includes three other names reported by AP’s Ben Feller yesterday: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno.

Some in the White House want to add an unconventional choice to the list: James B. Comey Jr., the No. 2 Bush Justice Department official who rebelled against plans for domestic eavesdropping. Comey, 48, has law-and-order credentials and is an authority on national-security cases, yet sees limits to how far government can go, and he stood up to oppose controversial Bush administration policies when other officials folded. Comey threatened to resign over the eavesdropping program and made his case in a private session with President George W. Bush.

Good Thursday morning. Slate’s John Dickerson says President Obama’s decision to reverse himself and withhold photos of abused detainees is the latest sign of this White House playing it down the middle: “[A]ides say over the last 10 days, military commanders have pressed the case with increasing urgency that the photos would make it harder for troops in battle. … Gently, gently goes this presidency. Obama has been a thoroughly activist president. … Yet his interventions always seem bound by a pragmatism that his aides constantly talk about. … Pragmatism is a word Obama aides use suspiciously often. Asked to define the Obama philosophy one senior administration recently said he was ‘a devout non-ideologue.’ … Moderate and independent voters like centrism and non-ideological politicians so that's why we're hearing the word so much. … He didn't nationalize the banks, but didn't let them fail. He didn't completely reverse the previous administration's position on the state secrets privilege, but he said he would modify it. He campaigned against earmarks, but didn't get drawn into an ugly fight to undo the $410 billion omnibus spending bill. He did not give commanders all the troops they wanted in Afghanistan, but committed more troops than his liberal supporters would have liked. … His was the ultimate pragmatic campaign: In the primaries his positions were never more than a few steps from Hillary Clinton — now, of course, a member of his Cabinet — and in the fall he patiently waited for John McCain to expire. After eight years of a president criticized as ideologically inflexible, he is betting that America is ready for a little pragmatism.”

TIME cover — THE FUTURE OF WORK.

Time’s Michael Scherer on Obama’s passive approach with Congress: “Despite Obama's early legislative victories — including passage of the largest stimulus bill in history — the new president has learned how limited his power can be, even when the Democrats control Congress. While much of the political chatter continues to focus on the waning Republican opposition, Obama's real challenge comes from within his own party. With increasing frequency, Democrats have been scratching away at the promises Obama made during his campaign, watering down reforms, removing possible revenue sources and protecting key constituencies. …

“For every former professor working somewhere in the White House, Obama has at least as many former congressional hands who understand the egos, dead ends and shortcuts on Capitol Hill. Whatever the eggheads may theorize, the Hill veterans have crafted an approach that neatly parallels his background as a community organizer and rarely seeks to dictate the legislative details, even if it means he does not always control the outcome. ‘Every presidency learns from preceding presidencies. There are things you want to do different,’ explains Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who left a post in the House leadership to go to the White House. Emanuel had worked for President Bill Clinton, who bungled his early legislative agenda by trying to force-feed legislation to Congress — and then being slow to compromise. Obama is emerging, on the other hand, as a president who convenes the players, points them down the road and then lets the chips fall where they may. Obama regularly gathers members of Congress at the White House to give them broad encouragement, not marching orders.”

** From the U.S. Travel Association: May 9-17 is National Travel and Tourism Week. Travel Means Jobs — One of eight Americans works in this vital industry. In fact, chances are you have a friend or a neighbor who makes a living thanks to travel. Support your community by standing up for travel. More info and links at end of Playbook. **

DRIVING THE DAY — LOOK FOR CHRYSLER TO REVEAL ITS HUNDREDS OF DEALERSHIP CUTS TODAY, AND GM WILL DO THE SAME WITHIN A FEW DAYS. L.A. Times: “The closings will dump thousands of large, oddly configured parcels into an already reeling commercial real estate market. Many are likely to remain empty for a long time, monuments to the decline of the U.S. auto industry and the intensity of this recession.”

DEALERS FIGHT BACK — The National Automobile Dealers Association organized a dealer fly-in to Capitol Hill, with more than 100 new-car dealers scheduled to meet with House and Senate members. The dealers will ask the lawmakers to urge the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry to slow down the planned reduction of the GM and Chrysler dealer networks. John McEleney, the group’s chairman, said in a statement that the rapid reductions ‘will result in another 200,000 Americans losing their jobs.’ ‘State and local governments will lose millions of dollars in auto sales tax revenue that is essential for economic recovery,’ McEleney said. ‘We’re not arguing against dealer consolidation. Our concern is with the accelerated time frame.”

THEY’LL BE TOLD … that these were the automakers' decisions, based on what the companies think will ultimately make them healthier. "If we don’t have healthy car companies, it doesn’t matter how many dealers there are, because none of them are going to make any money," a source familiar with the announcements told POLITICO. "And if we don’t have the right dealer network, we’re not going to have healthy car companies. … There are going to be just as many cars sold in a given congressional district or a given state, whether there are more dealers or fewer dealers. It’s not going to change the number of cars that people want to buy. It’s simply going to make the dealers that are there more productive, more profitable. And that has to be good for a community.” And the administration looks at the business plans and offers thoughts but does not go dealer by dealer or even say how many there should be in a city, state or congressional district.

GREAT READ — POLITICO’s Andie Coller on the politics of getting divorced when you’re in Congress.

TOP TALKER — AXELROD ADDRESSES SENATE DEMS — N.Y. Times’ Robert Pear: “Alarmed at Republican attacks on President Obama’s health care proposals, Senate Democrats huddled Wednesday with White House officials to formulate a response. Democrats said they felt an urgent need to devise a ‘message’ to answer Republicans assertions that Mr. Obama’s proposals could lead to ‘a Washington takeover of health care.’ Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, said many Democrats felt ‘unease that we did not have a strategy’ to answer the criticism coming from Republican members of Congress and Republican consultants like Frank I. Luntz, an expert on the language of politics. Senate Democrats met for more than an hour at the Capitol with David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, and Jim Messina, a deputy White House chief of staff. ‘Axelrod came to reassure us that they do have a strategy,’ Mr. Bayh said. … Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic whip, said Wednesday that the Luntz memorandum was ‘a catalyst’ for the meeting with Mr. Axelrod. … [Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat who is chairman of the Finance Committee and an architect of the emerging legislation,] said Mr. Axelrod had offered suggestions on how to communicate, using ‘words that work’ and avoiding ‘words that don’t work.’ Rather than talk about a mandate requiring individuals or employers to buy insurance, Mr. Baucus said, Democrats intend to emphasize the idea of ‘shared responsibility.’”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK “COMMON GROUND” ON HEALTH — GOP leaders wrote to the president to say that they see “areas for potential common ground on health care reform” that they would like to discuss. “We write to you today to express our sincere desire to work with you and find common ground on the issue of health care reform,” says the letter signed by House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana and others. The letter uses the phrase “common ground” four times in eight paragraphs and calls for “open and constructive dialogue across party lines.”

TREASURY TODAY: With the Making Home Affordable program delivering much-needed relief to homeowners and to our economy just over two months after the release of program guidelines, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan will provide an update on the program’s impact on stemming the housing crisis and keeping families in their homes and will announce new expanded options for homeowners facing foreclosure. Thus far, more than 55,000 Home Affordable Modification offers have been extended to qualifying borrowers. The secretaries will make these announcements following a meeting with housing counselors from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and with homeowners Nicholas Tekpertey, of Reston, Va., and Warren Rohn, of Lewiston, Calif., who will share their success stories since participating in the Home Affordable Modification program.

SCOOP — this story is the HuffPost banner — Wall Street Journal A3, “White House Czar Calls for End to 'War on Drugs': Kerlikowske Says Analogy Is Counterproductive; Shift Aligns With Administration Preference for Treatment Over Incarceration,” by Gary Fields: “The Obama administration's new drug czar says he wants to banish the idea that the U.S. is fighting ‘a war on drugs,’ a move that would underscore a shift favoring treatment over incarceration in trying to reduce illicit drug use. In his first interview since being confirmed to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske said Wednesday the bellicose analogy was a barrier to dealing with the nation's drug issues. ‘Regardless of how you try to explain to people it's a “war on drugs” or a “war on a product,” people see a war as a war on them," he said. ‘We're not at war with people in this country.’

“Mr. Kerlikowske's comments are a signal that the Obama administration is set to follow a more moderate — and likely more controversial — stance on the nation's drug problems. Prior administrations talked about pushing treatment and reducing demand while continuing to focus primarily on a tough criminal-justice approach. The Obama administration is likely to deal with drugs as a matter of public health rather than criminal justice alone, with treatment's role growing relative to incarceration, Mr. Kerlikowske said. Already, the administration has called for an end to the disparity in how crimes involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine are dealt with. Critics of the law say it unfairly targeted African-American communities, where crack is more prevalent. The administration also said federal authorities would no longer raid medical-marijuana dispensaries in the 13 states where voters have made medical marijuana legal. Agents had previously done so under federal law, which doesn't provide for any exceptions to its marijuana prohibition.”

—WashTimes: “Morans divided on detainees,” by Gary Emerling: Virginia “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran declared Wednesday that he won't decide whether to oppose detainees coming to his state until he sees what President Obama has to say, refusing to take a stand on an issue that his elder brother, Rep. James P. Moran [D-Va.], put into play last weekend. Mr. Moran's gubernatorial competitors have sought to capitalize on an op-ed by James Moran, who wrote that residents of his Alexandria district should be willing to see some of the terrorism suspects detained in a local facility if that proves necessary. But Brian Moran, pressed for two days to comment on his brother's article, provided a written statement to The Washington Times saying, ‘I have tremendous confidence in the leadership of President Obama. I look forward to his recommended plans and will evaluate them once they are released.’”

THE PHOTO DECISION:

—POLITICO’s Ben Smith and Josh Gerstein: “[I]t marked a growing recognition inside the White House of how explosive the question of torture has become — swamping his predecessor’s legacy, entangling the speaker of the House and threatening to overwhelm Obama’s agenda. ‘He plainly does not want his agenda sidetracked by a long debate over torture — much less high-profile prosecutions,’ said former Clinton aide Paul Begala.”

—MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, on Obama’s statement: “That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? If you squint and don’t really look at the screen very carefully, it sort of sounds like….yuh.”

—Jonathan Turley on “Maddow”: “It’s perfectly Orwellian….It’s an incredibly dark moment for civil libertarians. Its just more evidence that this administration is becoming the greatest bait and switch in history — that [Obama’s] morphing into his predecessor.”

—L.A. Times’ Peter Wallsten and Janet Hook: “Liberal groups said Wednesday that they intended to keep up the pressure on Obama. The ACLU is seeking many more documents, including memos laying out Bush-era tactics and transcripts of destroyed videotapes depicting harsh interrogation techniques. Obama's dilemma is that he risks undermining one of the core principles he claimed for his presidency: transparency.”

—WashPost A1, “As Cheney Seizes Spotlight, Many Republicans Wince,” by Dan Balz: “[H]is high-profile defense of controversial Bush administration policies has caused queasiness among Republican political strategists. But Cheney remains powerful enough that most of his GOP critics are not willing to take him on in public. ‘The fact that most people want to talk [without attribution] shows what a problem it continues to be,’ said one Republican strategist … Mary Matalin, who was a spokeswoman for Cheney during the early years of the Bush presidency, believes her former boss is motivated mainly by his principles. … ‘This isn't about partisan politics, it's about what's right for the country,’ said Liz Cheney, the former vice president's daughter and a former State Department official. … Cheney's daughter was among those who pointed to yesterday's White House reversal on the detainee photos as evidence that a vocal, public debate over the new administration's policies can make a difference. … Liz Cheney strongly disagreed with the claim that her father's vocal defense of Bush administration policies has caused significant unrest within the GOP. She said he has received phone calls, e-mails and letters from people around the country, from officials in government and from members of the military and their families, thanking him for standing up and speaking out. ‘He's got hundreds of people coming to him saying, “Please keep doing what you're doing,” ’ she said.”

TRANSITIONS:

—“Elmendorf scores former Reid aide,” By POLITICO’s Chris Frates: “The co-head of Citigroup’s Washington office, Jimmy Ryan, is joining Elmendorf Strategies next month, amping up the firm’s Senate horsepower and profile. Ryan, who worked for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for a decade before decamping for Citi in 2003, brings a Senate background similar to founder Steve Elmendorf’s House portfolio. Both men spent years as senior aides in top congressional leadership offices. Elmendorf ran floor operations for then-House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, and Ryan did the same job for Reid. With Democrats on the verge of a filibuster-proof, 60-seat majority in the Senate, Ryan’s move signals the shifting political calculus. ‘Instead of looking for the five Republicans to get you over the top, people are going to be looking for Senate moderates,’ Elmendorf said. ‘It makes Senate moderate Democrats much more important, and someone with the breadth and depth of his Senate contacts is a great hire.’ … Ryan hired Washington superlawyer Robert Barnett to broker the deal. Receiving job inquiries last year, Ryan said it quickly became clear that demand was high for lobbyists with a background in Senate Democratic leadership. He hired Barnett in January to help him sort through his options.”

—“New firm with decades of homeland security experience offers comprehensive team of top operational leads behind America’s post-2001 security efforts -- Veteran security experts from across the Homeland & National Security, Intelligence, and Law Enforcement Communities join forces to advise governments and businesses around the world. — W. Ralph Basham (Former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Director of the Secret Service), Joseph Hagin (Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff), David Paulison (Former FEMA Administrator), and the rest of the Command Consulting Group (CCG) team are pleased to announce the launch of a new venture by some of America’s top national and homeland security professionals. The newly formed group offers clients decades of insight and experience from top operational leaders who remain actively engaged in critical national issues today.” THE M STREET TEAM INCLUDES STEVE ATKISS AND TOM HOARE. (Ask Tom who his staff assistant is.)

—FORMER MAYOR WILLIAMS BECOMES DIRECTOR OF STATE AND MUNICIPAL PRACTICE: Arent Fox LLP is proud to announce the former mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony A. Williams, has joined the firm in our Washington office. Mayor Williams will establish and lead a new practice dedicated to state and municipal finance and management. Mr. Williams, who served two terms as mayor of the District of Columbia from 1999 to 2007, is a recognized national leader in municipal innovation and governance. He is widely credited with bringing the nation's capital back from the brink of insolvency and establishing the District of Columbia as a model of economic stability and development for cities across the nation. (Hat tip: Matt Mackowiak)

MEDIAWATCH — TALKRADIO ALERT — WashTimes A1, “Bankrupt Tribune doles out bonuses after blasting AIG,” by Jennifer Harper: “Two months after denouncing a troubled financial company for doling out hefty management bonuses, a bankrupt news media company is doing the same thing. ‘Money for nothing?’ blared a Chicago Tribune editorial in mid-March, responding to news that American International Group Inc. planned to give $450 million in bonuses to its top executives … But this week, the Tribune Co. — which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Hartford Courant and other dailies, along with 23 TV stations — received permission from a Delaware bankruptcy judge to pay out $13.3 million in bonuses to some 700 local and corporate managers. … Tribune Chief Financial Officer Chandler Bigelow III explained the rationale for the bonuses during an appearance in U.S. Bankruptcy Court … ‘We need to motivate and incentivize the key people who will implement change. These are really good people we're talking about. They're the best and the brightest in the company.’”

—ADVERTISING AGE: “A charity auction for a two- or three-month internship at the Huffington Post has collected bids as high as $13,000.” (hat tip: Romenekso)

SPORTS BLINK — AP, "Penguins rout Capitals 6-2 to reach Eastern final: In a series that included eight goals apiece from Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the decisive Game 7 blow might have been the one delivered by a fourth-line winger who doesn't get much time on the ice. After Crosby gave the Pittsburgh Penguins an early lead, the Washington Capitals were caught flatfooted on the ensuing faceoff. It took only eight seconds for Craig Adams to finish off a 3-on-1 break for his first goal in 42 career playoff games. A two-goal lead was a rarity in this series, and this time it was insurmountable for a rattled Capitals team facing a rival that was smarter, quicker and simply did a better job of getting its act together on such a big stage. The Penguins went on to take a 5-0 lead and won 6-2 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals."

DESSERT — WTOP’s MARK SEGRAVES, “Response to Springsteen ticket debacle called 'pitiful': Investigations are being launched into the debacle involving tickets to the Bruce Springsteen concert at Verizon Center next week. TicketsNow.com, a resale company owned by Ticketmaster oversold the concert by thousands of tickets. D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles has launched an investigation. … Representatives of TicketsNow has been calling fans to tell them they don't have the premium seats for which they paid. Some fans paid two to three times the face value of the tickets to get the seats. Refunds are being given. Customers also are getting free tickets, but they are in the 400 section of Verizon Center, nowhere close to the seats they thought they bought.”

“IDOL” UPDATE — AP, “Another 'American Idol' finalist booted, leaving the competition's final two singers: Danny Gokey is dancing off ‘American Idol,’ leaving showy Adam Lambert and twangy Kris Allen to duke it out in the finale of the popular Fox singing competition next week. Gokey, the bespectacled 29-year-old church music director and recent widower from Milwaukee, was revealed to have received the fewest viewer votes on Wednesday. Gokey had continually impressed the judges with his husky voice — but not his hip shaking — throughout the contest. ‘Idol’ judge Simon Cowell called his cover of Joe Cocker's version of ‘You Are So Beautiful’ on Tuesday a ‘vocal master class’ but said his dancing during Terence Trent D'Arby's ‘Dance Little Sister’ was ‘desperate.’ Along with Lambert, Gokey had long been considered to be a front-runner of the eighth season, never appearing as one of the show's bottom vote-getters. ‘Idol’ host Ryan Seacrest said more than 88 million votes were received with 1 million votes separating the top two singers, meaning next week's Lambert-Allen showdown may be closer than anticipated. ‘Look, none of us would have predicted this, guys,’ Cowell said at the end of the show.”

**From the U.S. Travel Association: Travel is one of America’s most important engines of economic growth and a critical component to our nation’s economic recovery. It employs one out of every eight Americans, drives $740 billion in spending and generates $115 billion in tax revenues for vibrant communities across the country.

Standing up for travel — and the millions of Americans who work in this industry – has never been more important. This week, thousands of industry members in more than 30 cities are commemorating National Travel and Tourism Week with rallies promoting the value of travel. To learn more about travel in America and communities like yours, visit www.poweroftravel.org and www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com. **

****** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs (CAPD): The high prices that drug makers set for prescription drugs can put financial strain on patients, employers, unions and others who provide health care coverage to more than 50 percent of Americans. Pharmacy benefit managers negotiate the lowest net price for prescriptions on behalf of employers, unions and government programs. But, as list prices – the starting point for those negotiations -- continue their nearly double-digit increases, the effects ripple throughout the system. The key to ensuring greater access and affordability lies in fostering greater competition. Facilitating faster reviews of generics and biosimilars, identifying off-patent drugs with little or no generic competition, and ending anti-competitive practices that keep safe, effective alternatives out of the market are also key to abating rising drug costs for patients. Learn more at affordableprescriptiondrugs.org******

Authors:

About The Author

Mike Allen is the chief White House correspondent for POLITICO. He comes to us from Time magazine where he was their White House correspondent. Prior to that, Allen spent six years at The Washington Post, where he covered President Bush's first term, Capitol Hill, campaign finance, and the Bush, Gore and Bradley campaigns of 2000. Before turning to national politics, he covered schools and local governments in rural counties outside Fredericksburg, Va., for The Free Lance-Star, then wrote about Doug Wilder, Oliver North, Chuck Robb and the Bobbitts for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he nurtured police sources on overnight ride-alongs through housing projects. Allen also covered Mayor Giuliani, the Connecticut statehouse and the wacky rich of Greenwich for The New York Times. Before moving to The Times, he did stints in the Richmond and Alexandria bureaus of The Washington Post. Allen grew up in Orange County, Calif., and has a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, where he majored in politics and journalism.